The Wasp — 1878 — page 94: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a poem by H.C. Benner titled "Behold the Deeds," presented as social satire. The work appears to catalog various hypocritical or morally questionable behaviors of respectable society figures—particularly landlords and boardinghouse keepers. The poem mocks people who exploit others while maintaining respectability: landlords who evict tenants, boardinghouse operators who cheat guests, and generally those who abuse power over vulnerable populations (particularly women). The cartoon illustration (top) shows a disheveled scene with what appears to be a boarding house, reinforcing the poem's critique of such establishments as sites of exploitation. This reflects *The Wasp's* satirical mission of exposing hypocrisy among the wealthy and powerful classes in American society.